Using Social Ads on Pinterest

Pinterest is a social media platform that specializes in image searching. it is designed to facilitate the saving and discovery of information. Basically, it is your very own virtual pinboard, allowing you to organize videos, images, and ideas into collections, or "pinboards." [1] But, who uses Pinterest? 

Pinterest Demographics

According to Backlinko, as of 2022, Pinterest has 450 million active users worldwide. The bulk of users are female between the ages of 25 to 34. Moreover, 40.8% of users come from within the United States with 98 million active users per month. Backlinko also estimates around 35% of Americans use Pinterest. [2]

In terms of advertising power, it is estimated that Pinterest has generated $2.80 billion in annual revenue in 2022, with the U.S. contributing a great majority. [2] Clearly, Pinterest could generate positive results with advertising efforts. So who should advertise on Pinterest?

Creating a Pinterest Buyer Persona: Clara

I asked ChatGPT to create a buyer persona for a customer targeted through Pinterest. Here are the results:

In summary, the ideal target market with Pinterest is a young millennial/older gen Z woman who is educated, enjoys DIY projects and pleasing aesthetics. She values sustainability and handcrafted items. The call-to-action on a Pinterest ad should entice her to explore a new idea or product.

Since the company I've chosen for this class project does not fit the ideal customer for Pinterest, I will not be running a Pinterest Ad campaign. However, I did want to go through the steps of creating ads in Pinterest.

How to Create Ads on Pinterest

Similarly to other social media platforms, you must have an account in order to advertise on Pinterest. You can create a new business account, link your personal account to a business account, or convert your personal account into a business account. Pinterest has features like analytics and product catalogs available only for business accounts.

To create an ad, you can follow these easy steps:

1. Log in to your Pinterest business account.
2. Click 'Ads' at the top of your screen, then select 'Overview' to open the Ads Manager.
3. Click the down arrow next to your account name at the top of your screen.
4. Choose 'Create new ad account'.
5. Enter an Ad account name, select your country, and then set up billing.
6. Enter your payment information for your new ad account and click 'Save'.

Like with. the other social media platforms we've covered so far, there are a number of customization options available through Pinterest ads to make sure the right audience gets your message. You can target users by interests, behaviors, demographics, and even choose keywords and placements with Pinterest Ads.

One important thing to note is that Pinterest Ads are only available through a desktop.

References:

[1] How Pinterest Is Different from Other Social Media Platforms
[2] Pinterest Usage and Revenue Statistics: How Many People Use Pinterest in 2023?